SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook Inc on Thursday put an end to a test of splitting its signature News Feed into two, an idea that roiled how people consumed news in the six countries where it occurred and added to concern about Facebook’s power. The test created two streaming series of posts. One was focused on photos and other updates from friends and family, and a second was called an“explore feed.” It was dedicated to material from Facebook pages that the user had liked, such as media outlets or sports teams. The social media network decided to end the test and maintain one feed because people told the company in surveys they did not like the change, Adam Mosseri, head of the News Feed at Facebook, said in a statement. “People told us they were less satisfied with the posts they were seeing, and having two separate feeds didn’t actually help them connect more with friends and family,” Mosseri said. The test began in October and took place in Bolivia, … [Read more...] about Facebook ends six-country test that split News Feed in two
Social news feed
Facebook plans major changes to news feed
Facebook is to change how its news feed works, making posts from businesses, brands and media less prominent.Instead, content that sparks conversations among family and friends who use the site will be emphasised, explained chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on his page.Organisations on Facebook may see the popularity of their posts decrease as a result, the firm acknowledged.The changes will take effect over the coming weeks."We've gotten feedback from our community that public content - posts from businesses, brands and media - is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other," wrote Mr Zuckerberg.He said that he and his team felt a responsibility to make sure Facebook was good for people's wellbeing.If public content is to be promoted, it will now have to be seen to encourage community interaction - as happens within the tight-knit groups that discuss TV programmes and sports, he said.Another example given by Facebook in a separate post was live video … [Read more...] about Facebook plans major changes to news feed
Facebook updates News Feed to make friends a priority
Facebook on Thursday announced a major update that will put friends and family above pages or celebrities in a user's news feed -- and likely result in people spending less time on the leading social network. The change to the way Facebook ranks posts will put more weight on social interactions and relationships, according to News Feed product manager John Hegeman. "This is a big change," Hegeman told AFP. "People will actually spend less time on Facebook, but we feel good about that because it will make the time they do spend more valuable, and be good for our business in the end." For example, a family video clip posted by a spouse will be deemed more worthy of attention than a snippet from a star or favorite restaurant. "We think people interaction is more important than passively consuming content," Hegeman said. "This will be one of the more important updates that we have made." Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg has said that bringing people together and strengthening … [Read more...] about Facebook updates News Feed to make friends a priority
Facebook News Feed becomes personal newspaper
Facebook began Thursday transforming the stream of updates from friends at homepages into a "personalized newspaper," with news ranging from the personal to the global. The News Feed on homepages at the leading social network was revamped to get rid of clutter and present "bright, beautiful" stories, such as insights from friends or trending news of the day. "I think there is a special place in the world for this sort of personalized newspaper," Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said in introducing the overhauled News Feed. "It should have a front page and top news section or let you drill down into any topic you want." Facebook is rolling out the new News Feed "very slowly" at its website reached by desktop or laptop, and will begin adding it to smartphone and tablet applications in the coming weeks. Each News Feed will automatically be tuned to the interests of individual Facebook users, according to technical lead Chris Struhar. Pictures in the feed will be gleaned from … [Read more...] about Facebook News Feed becomes personal newspaper
Social News 12/12
Crackdown on smugglers creates border control turmoil A crackdown on smugglers has created turmoil at Vietnam-China border crossings, notably at Mong Cai Border Gate in Quang Ninh Province, which is being flooded with people going back and forth between the two countries as gangs probe for weak spots in border control. Officials said Mong Cai Border Gate processed 10,000 people on December 6. The crowdness has been going on over the past month following the arrest of a smuggling gang on November 2, which prompted an increase of inspections by border gate security along the border. … [Read more...] about Social News 12/12